Review | Pasticceria Papa, Five Dock

This visit to Pasticceria Papa or "Papa's" was totally unexpected, I was driving to a meeting in Lilyfield when I passed the store in Five Dock, totally surprised I made a mental note to stop by on my way home to purchase a slice or two of their famous ricotta cheesecake. Upon entering the store (which has ample parking in a lot downstairs), I knew I would be walking out with more than just cheesecake! There was a selection of cookies and pastries to choose from, and a few savoury items too.

I restrained myself from pointing out everything on display and instead purchased two slices of their ricotta cheesecake (at $4 a slice), two large rum baba ($2.80 each), four small chocolate ricotta cannoli ($1.60 each), and one small chocolate bigne ($1.80) for me to eat before the ride home! The service was efficient and friendly, and I loved hearing the orders being repeated to other staff members in Italian. Although, I was a little worried as they were pricing it up as most of the items I selected did not have the prices written but when I saw the total and the break downs, I was pretty pleased- much of those items would be charged at a higher place in other cafes.

As I plugged in my home address into the GPS I devoured the bigne, choux pastry coated in a rich chocolate and filled with a yummy, light chocolate custard. A nice treat to tide me over before I got home to devour the rest.
When I got home, I bit into a cannoli. I'm normally not a fan of cannoli but I thought I'd give them a another chance. They were nice, nicer than ones I had previously. But the sweet tooth in me prefers more sweeter sweet treats.

Later in the evening I cut into the rum baba, delighted to see how fluffy and soaked in flavour it was. The smell of rum was much stronger than the taste, which I preferred. I haven't had one since Italy and it didn't disappoint, would definitely get it again.

And now the the drawcard- the cheesecake.When a dish is so famed you expect it be the best thing you have ever tasted, and while this cheesecake was not that it was pretty nice. The cheesecake is served with a layer of icing sugar and hints of cinnamon which adds a sweetness to the cake. The soft and creamy centre pairs well with the harder, cake like outside.

Overall, I would say Papa's is worth a visit, everything tasted great and high quality but with a reasonable price tag. Even though it is not as famed, my favourite was the rum baba.